Through Hell and Back
by djptmnmd
Summary: When Hermione sees her best friend dead in Hagrid's arms, how can she cope? And what feelings come out of it? Harry/Hermione, told in Hermione's perspective. Ending of Book 7 and into the future. Rated T for some language and violence.
1. One Hour

**Chapter 1: One Hour**

 **A/N: Guys, I'm back. It's been a while since I started my first attempt at a fanfiction, and for a sad reason. While I was happy with the reviews I got, I wasn't happy about my story. I wrote the first chapter and published it as soon as it was done (rookie mistake). I realized that I couldn't do that, you can't blindly attempt to continue a story you haven't thought through. No ideas came to my head, and I barely resisted posting a cliché fanfiction. So I wrote this story. I may have written a couple chapters by the time you are reading this, and hopefully this story would turn up better. I also would like to point out that I'm still not sure whether or not to continue the last story, but I guess we'll cross that bridge when it gets there.**

 **This is an AU Harry/Hermione fic. Telling you just in case you didn't read the summary. The beginning chapter will follow the original story somewhat (i.e., the ending battle at Hogwarts), just from an alternate perspective.**

 **I've rambled enough, so without further ado, here is the story!**

 **Disclaimer:** **None of this story belongs to me (except for the tweaks to the main story). All credits go to J.K. Rowling and the brain that created the Harry Potter universe.**

* * *

My bushy hair fell around my face and tears welled up in my eyes as Harry Potter knelt down in front of the man laying on the floor. The man was beckoning my friend without a sound as everyone in the room knew that if any words where spoken out loud, that would mean death for the man. Harry sat in front of the adult and stared hopelessly at him, that was until I saw it. The man was crying, it seemed, but it wasn't tears that flowed out of his eyes. Instead, it was a strange substance that I've only seen in my textbooks. Memories. I waved my wand wordlessly and a vial appeared in my hand. Ron Weasley gave me a slight glance, no doubt surprised at my use of wandless magic.

It seemed normal to me, doing something that others my age couldn't. Normally I would get snide remarks about being a "know-it-all" and I would cry silently when no one was looking, but that day didn't consist of me being in class, with my hand raised at every moment while I gripped the edge of my seat. No, that day didn't have class, or school, or anything a teenager would normally do, for that matter. That day was terrifying and shook me to the core, nearly ridding me of my emotions. Maybe it was the fact that at Harry, Ron, and I were hiding in a shack when everyone else was risking their lives in the castle, or maybe it was the fact that we watched a Professor be abandoned to die while bleeding out. The likely reason, though, was the man who had brutally attacked the older adult.

Voldemort.

I was certain that Voldemort wasn't human, but instead some devil spawn from Hell. He was insane, murderous, and flat out terrifying. White skin that somehow got so white it looked blue, red, snake-like eyes, and two slits for a nose. If that wasn't horrifying enough, then you should've heard his voice. It was like stone scraping against stone. I wondered how I managed to stand up to him, as he was ruthless. He killed Harry's parents, Hufflepuff's Cedric Diggory, and lastly, Severus Snape. Severus Snape was responsible for the death of Headmaster Albus Dumbledore and loyal servant to Voldemort. But, Voldemort killed him, or at least attacked him to a certain extent. The Dark Wizard had left him to die, and Harry, Ron and I were standing over him while I was carefully pushing a vial into Harry's hands. Harry put the vial in the path of the flowing memories and slowly collected them. My best friend stood up slowly when he finished and turned to look at Snape. Snape opened his mouth and whispered something only Harry could hear, before he let out his final breath. He moved no more. I opened my mouth to say something to him when suddenly I heard a faint buzzing. Looking around, I deducted that whatever the hell wasn't making the sound was indeed not in the room. Suddenly, the buzzing became loud and amplified, as if a thousand bees had found their way into the Shrieking Shack. My hand gripped my wand when suddenly, the buzzing stopped, only to be replaced by that cold, dreadful voice.

"You have fought valiantly," the voice of Lord Voldemort said, and I realized that he wasn't near us, but instead talking to everyone in the area. Ron flattened his hands against his ears in a painful wince, and Harry, who I supposed was too deep in thought about the death of Snape to hear the buzzing, nearly toppled over in surprise. "Lord Voldemort knows how you value bravery. Yet," Voldemort continued in that same horrid voice, "you have sustained many losses. If you continue to resist me, you will all die, one by one. I do not wish this to happen". Ron gave a snort of disbelief. "Every drop of magical blood spilled is a loss and a waste. Lord Voldemort is merciful. I command my forces to retreat immediately. You have one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your injured." Silence. I saw Ron remove his hands from his ears, only to slap them back in their place again as Voldemort clearly wasn't done talking.

"I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to you," the voice said, and I turned to look at Harry. His face was dead white, sweat dripping from his forehead, and upon closer examination, I could tell he was holding in his breath. "You have permitted your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself. I shall wait for one hour in the Forbidden Forest. If, at the end of that hour, that you have not come to me, have not given yourself up, then battle recommences. This time, I shall enter the fray myself, Harry Potter, and I shall find you, and I shall punish every last man, woman, and child who has tried to conceal you from me. One hour," Voldemort finished.

Harry looked like he was about to faint, and I could tell that he was contemplating whether or not to turn himself in. I tried my best not to get mad at him for doing so, which under any normal circumstance I would have, but that day was different. It was going to be the day that would set everything in place. Either Voldemort, an immortal, savage being will die, or everyone else would. Shivers flew down my spine. The hunt for the Horcruxes felt like a game, or a warmup. Now, it became real, and I couldn't blame Harry one bit. Ron spoke aloud, breaking the terrifying silence.

"Don't listen to him!" Harry jumped, startled by the noise, and turned to look back at Snape.

I racked my brains, trying to think of something that would comfort my friend. For once, I didn't have a solution, or at least not a great one. "It'll be all right," I whispered, hoping not to startle Harry again. "Let's - let's get back to the castle, if he's gone to the forest we'll need to think of a new plan..." I trailed off. I mentally kicked myself. _Way to make things feel better!_ Before I could worry Harry even more, I looked at Snape then almost ran back towards to tunnel. I heard Ron follow me but I knew Harry would stay a bit back. How I figured that out, I don't know, but he did. The grass was cold as I climbed out of the tunnel, with Ron following suit in less than ten seconds. Harry slowly climbed out after thirty seconds and he looked towards the castle, deliberately not meeting our eyes. Ron sighed, then led the way towards the Great Hall. None of us uttered a word as we trudged towards the castle, and once again, Harry hung back, leaving him a good 10 meters behind us. Ron reached the doors and waited patiently for Harry and I. I gave Harry a small, reassuring smile, one he did not return, before opening the doors. My first thought was probably everybody's thought. "Where is everyone?" Ron shrugged, and opened the door to the Great Hall. I gasped. The tables were cast to the sides of the rom and there were people milling about everywhere. This was where the dead and injured were kept. Ron immediately spotted his family and walked over to them, I followed suit, and Harry hung back yet again.

I saw Ginny, who slowly made her way over to me. Poor soul, she looked like a downright mess. Her face was red and her eyes were puffy. I hugged her as she came closer and we held the hug for a long time, before she let go and solemnly led me towards Fred, who was lying on the floor with his mouth slightly agape and eyes closed. It almost looked like he was sleeping. Almost. He looked like Cedric had on the night Voldemort returned. Tears sprang to my eyes as I looked past Fred and I saw Lupin and Tonks lying dead on the ground. Ginny hugged me again and Ron leaned his head against mine, something I wasn't fond of. Whatever feelings I had for him vanished when Ron abandoned Harry and I in that bloody tent. But, since it was Ron's family, I let him. And together the three of us sat, staring and mourning for Fred for God knows how long, before I finally said anything.

"How are you doing, Harry?"

 _Silence_

Ginny piped up, her voice throaty. "Harry?"

 _More silence._

Ron turned around abruptly to face him. "Oi, you foul git, you don't need to -" Ron stopped midsentence. "He's not here," he muttered ashamedly. I turned around and sure enough, he wasn't there. Panic crept up to my chest. _Where is he?_ I looked around, but I couldn't find a trace of him.

"Erm, I'm going to look for him," I said to the siblings, standing up. Ron stood up as well, but I pushed him back down. "Stay with your family, Ron. I can manage," I said with patience. The redhead nodded and sat down next to Ginny. My eyes swept over Fred, Lupin, and Tonks, and then I turned around. My feet carried me towards the door, yet I still didn't know where he was. Panic flowed through me again, but this time, I couldn't keep it down. My mind was frantic at this point. _Where are you?_ I started to run towards the door, ignoring the curious stares that followed me. Images of Harry laying limp like Fred invaded my mind. Tears pulled at my eyes again. I let out a gargled sound as I thought about him turning himself in. _He wouldn't do that! Not to his friends!_ I charged out the door and stopped, unsure of where to go next. I looked up the stairs and I saw Neville milling about on the second floor. My feet met the first step an in nearly and instant I somehow managed to make it all the way up without stopping. "Neville!" I shouted at him. The boy turned, startled, before he saw me, and I saw him visibly relax. "Neville," I panted again, coming to a stop next to him. "Have - have you s-seen Harry?" I croaked out, and the tears of worry started leaving my eyes and started flowing on my cheeks.

Neville looked a bit startled at my sudden crying, but he patted me on the shoulder and nodded. "Yea," he said.

I looked up at him. I noticed the change in him since I last saw him last. His jaw was well more defined and he looked a lot more confident, but I didn't have time to dwell on that. "Where was he?!" I demanded.

"I - I don't know! He told me he had something to do. And no!" he exclaimed, seeing the obvious fear that crept to my face. "He's not turning himself in. That's what he told me. He just told me to kill the snake," Neville said.

I was confused. "The snake?"

Neville looked at me strangely. "Blimey, Hermione, are you okay?" My eyes met his, and I was still oblivious as to what he was talking about. "Voldemort's snake! Nagini, I think it's called..." Neville trailed off.

Suddenly it came back to me. Of course, Nagini. Voldemort's snake. The snake that killed Snape. Snape. Suddenly, it dawned on me.

 _Snape!_

His memories, the ones Harry took. Suddenly she was on full blast. "Neville, is there a Pensieve in Dumbledore's office?"

"Yeah, why?" Neville started, but I was already charging down the hallway, towards Dumbledore's office.

The stone gargoyle looked at me as I walked up to it. "I don't know the password," I said. _Let me in!_ "Please?" I asked with no hope that he would let me in. The gargoyle stared at me for some time before sighing and moving to the side, much to my surprise. "Thank you!" I breathed a sigh of relief. I ran past him and up the stairs. I was met with the door, and I pulled it open, expecting to see Harry inside. Instead, it was empty, but someone had occupied it shortly before I arrived, as the Pensieve was still out in the open. I looked in, and I could tell that the memories were still inside. I didn't want to intrude on Snape's memories, and I really needed to find Harry, but I just couldn't resist. I dipped my head into the contents and I was transported to an unknown place.

* * *

I landed with a soft thud in a grassy field. I took in my surroundings as I straightened up. Swings. _A playground._ I saw two kids on the swings together, none of them had any features of Snape, though, and when I was going to get closer to investigate, a movement next to me made me jump. There, behind that bush. There was a kid with long hair and strange clothes. That must've been Snape. _But who were they?_ I wondered, following Snape's gaze towards the children. One of them was swinging higher and higher than the other, and I thought that the kid was surely going to fall and break herself. Instead, the other child screamed, "Lily, don't do it!" My blood ran cold when the girl said that. _Lily? Could it be?_ And sure enough, the child, Lily, let go of the swings and soared through the air. I closed my eyes, waiting to hear the sickening crunch, but none came. Instead, I opened my eyes to see her landing softly on the ground. "Mummy told you not to!" the other girl screamed again, hopping of her swing at a much lower height.

"But I'm fine! Tuney, look at this!" Lily said.

I then watched as Snape let himself be seen by them. Already, I could tell why Harry's aunt didn't like magic. Being a normal sister to a magical girl would've been hard on me as well. I wondered why this had anything to do with Harry, whatsoever, so I stayed to watch.

As time passed and memories changed, I saw why Snape really did try to protect Harry, his love for Lily was too much. I got a shock when Dumbledore asked Snape to kill him, but I was transported into Dumbledore's office again, and I was sure that I haven't understood everything yet. Dumbledore was walking around his desk while Snape sat as still as stone.

"Harry must not know, not until the last moment, not until it is necessary, otherwise how could he have the strength to do what must be done?" Dumbledore asked out loud.

"But what must he do?" Snape inquired.

"This is between Harry and me. Now listen closely, Severus. There will come a time - after my death - do not argue, do not interrupt! There will be a time when Lord Voldemort will seem to fear for the life of his snake."

Snape looked bewildered. "For Nagini?"

"Precisely. If there comes a time when Lord Voldemort stops sending that snake forth to do his bidding, but keeps it safe beside him under magical protection, then, I think, it will be safe to tell Harry."

"Tell him what?" Snape asked slowly.

I could see the anguish in Dumbledore's face. "Tell him that on the night Lord Voldemort tried to kill him, when Lily cast her own life between them as a shield, the Killing Curse rebounded upon Lord Voldemort, and a fragment of Lord Voldemort's soul was blasted apart from the whole, and latched itself onto the only living soul left in that collapsed building. Part of Lord Voldemort lives inside Harry, and it is that which gives him the power of speech to snakes, and a connection with Lord Voldemort's mind that he has never understood. And while that fragment of soul, unmissed by Voldemort, remains attached to and protected by Harry, Lord Voldemort cannot die."

I wasn't aware of falling, but I was on the ground by then, shedding newfound tears for my best friend. _He has to die!_ I buried my face in my hands, not paying attention to most of the conversation. Those images of him being dead resurfaced back to me and I wept even harder, begging for him to be alright. I looked up slowly to see that Snape was in Dumbledore's face, his own face set, jaw cleched, and eyes narrowed.

"I have spied for you and lied for you, put myself in mortal danger for you. Everything was supposed to be to keep Lily Potter's son safe. Now you tell me you have been raising him like a pig for slaughter -"

"But this is touching, Severus. Have you grown to care for the boy, after all?"

Snape's face was flushed, full of fury and anger. He pulled out his wand, and I was sure he was going to hex Dumbledore. "For HIM?" he screamed. "Expecto Patronum!" His wand glowed, and in the split second before it came out I realized who sent the silver doe to our aid that night in the forest. The doe shot out of the man's wand, danced around the room, then soared out of the window. Dumbledore looked at Snape sadly.

"After all this time?"

"Always!"

* * *

I exited the Pensieve, eyelids heavy from crying. My best friend was marked for death and the only way to defeat the enemy was to die. Life had a funny way of telling you that you fucked up, especially when it came to wars. I sat down on the carpeted floor, thinking about my life with Harry.

We had met on the train to Hogwarts, I had been looking for Neville's toad, when I had stumbled into Harry's compartment. That was the day I fixed Harry's glasses, an act of helpfulness that he said he would never forget. Then I remembered him jumping on the back of a troll to save my life. That was the day he became my best friend. Images of Harry hugging me before walking through the fire to meet what we thought was Professor Snape filled my mind. That was the day I realized that Harry had a special place in my heart. And then I woke up from being Petrified, to find out that Harry one-handedly took out the Basilisk. That was the day I realized how brave he was. And then he saved me and Sirius from all the dementors. That was the day he and I learned how much Harry cared about his friends and his family. I remember the day we fought after the ministry and Harry came back depressed and guilty. That was the day Sirius Black died. I stood by Harry at Dumbledore's funeral. That was the day I saw Harry lose some feeling, some trust.

And that brought me to Dumbledore's office, standing up to find Harry and tell him how much I cared about him. To tell him so much before he even thought about turning himself in to Voldemort. I wanted to tell him how sorry I was to go behind his back to tell McGonagall about his broom, about how sorry I was to always be at Ron's side by the time Harry arrived for any holiday, and especially about how sorry I was when I didn't believe him about the Half-Blood Prince's book. For the umpteenth time that day, tears fell down my face. I stormed out of the office and ran down the staircase, determination on my mind to convince Harry that there would be another way, even if I knew there wasn't. When I got to the stairs, however, I noticed that there was something very wrong. People were streaming out the front doors slowly, and not a sound was uttered. I followed behind in bewilderment. A hand slipped in mine and I jumped, but relaxed when Ron came into view next to me. I gave him a questioning look but he just shook his head and shrugged in response. I let him tug me along, searching for Harry while I did so. Wherever I looked, however, there was someone huddled up next to me, trying to get out the entrance. I was about to say something to Ron when I heard McGonagall's voice echo throughout the air.

"NO!"

If I were honest with myself, it sent shivers down my spine. But I didn't care. What was she yelling about, and why? Suddenly, cool air hit my face as I reached the front doors. People strewed out against the wall of the cast as they got outside. It was dark, but the sky was starting to become blue, so it must have been a couple hours before dawn. I looked in front of me, and to my horror I saw Voldemort, just standing there. I never got a good glimpse of him until then, and it shook me to the core. I then saw Hagrid behind him, tied up and carrying what looked like a bundle of sheets in his arms. I felt Ron stiffen beside me, and then I realized that I could see a face in that bundle. And then it struck me that it wasn't a bundle of sheets, but instead a dead body. I let loose a cry, seeing who Hagrid was carrying.

Harry Potter.


	2. The Last Stand

**Chapter 2: The Last Stand**

 **A/N: Hey guys, Chapter 2! I was going to update this tomorrow, but I couldn't resist. I'm writing Chapter 4 by now, so I think I'm good as far as preparation. I've decided I'm going to update this on the weekends.**

 **Note that this chapter (as well as the last) follow the script of the Deathly Hallows book pretty heavily, and I'm sorry if there is not enough creativity to show. I will feature that in the later chapters.**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own the Harry Potter books or the story, J.K. Rowling does.**

* * *

That was the day that my heart shattered and broke. I heard screams all around me but I didn't pay attention to them. My focus was on my best friend, Harry Potter, dead in Hagrid's arms. I hit the floor hard as I struggled to realize the fact that he actually walked up to Voldemort and welcomed death with open arms. Instead of feeling rage for Harry betraying our trust, the only thing I could feel was pride for how brave he was. For how brave was to look death straight into the eye and accept it. I looked at Voldemort and looked at his horrid smile as he pointed his wand at the crowd I was in and yelled something, then my mouth clamped so tight so fast I nearly bit my tongue in half. I had been silenced. Voldemort started to say something, but I couldn't hear him. To me, every sound was so distant and forbidden, and pinched myself, hoping to wake up at my house, safe and sound. But after a couple seconds of my eyes closed I felt myself begin to draw blood, and when I opened up my eyes sudden realization dawned on me.

Harry Potter was actually dead.

So I looked at the dead body. I watched as Hagrid softly put him on the ground by Voldemort's feet. I distantly heard the Dark Lord laugh, that damned laugh that I so wished to silence. I choked out a tear, and it rolled down my cheek. It hit the ground with a soft plunk, deafening in the silence around me. A hand touched my shoulder and I looked up. George looked at me sadly, his own eyes red and watery. He leaned in close to me and whispered as quietly as he could, he and I not noticing that Voldemort's silencing charm had died.

"Did you love him?"

I was taken aback by his randomness. Why would he ask here, when the man who killed Harry was standing not 30 meters away? But I thought about it anyway. I looked down at the ground, wondering what my feelings for Harry was.

Sure, there was a special place in my heart, reserved just for him, but I never thought I loved him. But, upon thinking about it, my feelings began to change. All those nights in the tent, after Ron left us to fend for ourselves, Harry and I grew close to each other. And I mean more than what we were before. He and I would sometimes share the same bunk together in an act of warming each other up, something he and I grew accustomed to but had to stop as Ron arrived, not wanting to spark his damned jealousy again. And there were times when I couldn't help but stare at him, and it would cheer me up just knowing he was by my side. Suddenly the answer flowed to me. _I did love him!_ I looked back up at George and nodded slowly while the tears flowed down my face. George opened his mouth to say something when Ron's voice caught me off guard.

"HE BEAT YOU!"

His voice was full of venom and anger, but it was directed not towards me, which I had initially thought, but to Voldemort. Other yells broke out following Ron's and then I was knocked flat on the ground as Voldemort cast another silencing charm. I spared a look at Harry, and I could barely handle it. It was just too much to take in, thinking about his dead body and the fact I would never hear a word from his mouth again, and it seemed only a miracle could help the Wizarding World at this point. Voldemort's cold voice invaded my mind again as he spoke.

"He was killed while trying to sneak out of the castle grounds!" he yelled, and I willed myself to stay strong and convince myself that what he was saying was all just a flat out lie. He would never betray his family like that, ever. "Killed while trying to save himself!"

I have had enough by that point, and I shakily stood up, prepared to charge the monster, not caring if he would kill me. But Neville had beaten me to it. He dashed out from the crowd, running head-on at Voldemort. I opened my mouth to shout at him, to tell him to stop, but it was too late. Voldemort raised his wand and I was sure he was going to murder Neville right then and there, but much to my surprise, he didn't. Instead, another loud bang was heard as Neville's feet slipped out from under him and his wand flew into Voldemort's hand. The Dark Lord threw it aside and walked over to the fallen boy.

"And who is this? Who has volunteered to demonstrate what happens to those who continue to fight when the battle is lost?"

I shook with visible anger. My fingers gripped my wand and a million curses went through my mind, trying to decide on what to do to him. Ron looked at my raised arm and put my hand down quickly. Bellatrix's laugh echoed in the background.

"What do you think you're doing?" Ron hissed at me.

I struggled against Ron's grip. "I can't let him get away with killing Harry!" I whispered painfully back. Ron's gaze softened and he nodded.

"I know, but we have to wait until we kill the snake," the redhead murmured. I nodded, convincing myself to stand down and lay low. I wrestled free of Ron's grip and held my arm down at my side. I turned back to what was happening in front of me. Voldemort was still talking.

"But you are a pureblood, aren't you?" I saw Neville's fists open and close, like he wasn't sure whether or not to punch the man in front of him.

"SO WHAT IF I AM!" Neville shouted with rage.

Voldemort smiled and held out his arms open as if he were welcoming a hug, though his face betrayed a hint of anger and disappointment. "You show spirit and bravery, and you come of noble stock. You will make a very valuable Death Eater," the Dark Lord continued, and stepped closer to Neville, who immediately took a step back. "We need your kind, Neville Longbottom," Voldemort said.

Neville looked like he was about to curse the living daylights out of Voldemort, and every word he said dripped with venom as he shouted. "I'll join you when hell freezes over!" Neville turned around to the crowd, looked me in the eye, raised up his fist, and shouted, "DUMBLEDORE'S ARMY!" I gave a weak smile, not showing enthusiasm. But everyone else cheered, and I saw Voldemort's smile turn into a snarl.

"VERY WELL!" Voldemort said loudly. "If it your choice, Longbottom, we revert to the original plan," Voldemort's voice suddenly shrunk to a whisper." On your head, be it!" He waved his wand, and something flew above me, but I didn't want to waste my energy looking up. I didn't need to, either, because whatever it was landed ungraciously in Voldemort's outstretched hand. He held it by the tip, and I clearly saw what it was now: the Sorting Hat. "There will be no more Sorting at Hogwarts School," Voldemort declared. "There will be no more Houses. The emblem, shield, and colors of my noble ancestor, Salazar Slytherin, will suffice for everyone!" The Dark Lord looked at the boy with a great smile on his face. "Won't they, Neville Longbottom?" Neville grew rigid and still as Voldemort pointed his wand at him, then took the hat and shoved it on his head. I tried to run forward to help him, but George held me back. "Neville here is now going to demonstrate what happens to anyone foolish enough to continue to oppose me," Voldemort said angrily. He flicked his wand, and to my complete horror, the Hat went up in flames.

I turned to George to yell at him and try to struggle free from his grip when a giant head poked from behind a wall. "HAGGER!" it cried, and for the first time, I smiled. _We were fighting back!_ I turned around and I saw thousands of centaurs come out of nowhere and split the Death Eater ranks up.

My wand was in my hand and I was about to cast a jinx on Lucius Malfoy when a certain sound got my attention. I turned around to see Neville become undone from the body-bind curse and I also saw Voldemort's snake lunging right at Neville's throat. My mouth opened wide in horror, but before I could shout anything, the Sword of Gryffindor was in Neville's hand and he sliced the head off of the snake. I stared for a couple seconds at the scene, wondering what purpose that had, and then I realized.

 _All the Horcruxes are gone!_

I wanted to cheer, but the thought of Horcruxes immediately brought my mind to Harry, so I looked at his limp form once more. Except that the spot where his body lay was vacated, and said body was no where to be found. Panic welled to my chest. _Did they take his body away?_ I was about to run forward when I heard Hagrid's voice call above everyone else's.

"HARRY! HARRY - WHERE'S HARRY?"

And then I was shoved, not by one person, but by the whole crowd. I fell heavily to the ground and I felt like crying. I was helpless, being stampeded by thousands of kids, my face getting kicked and my fingers being stepped on. "STOP!" I cried out, but to no avail, the students kept coming. Finally, the last kid went past me, and it was near silence. I opened my eyes timidly. No one was outside. No kids, no Death Eaters, no Voldemort, and to much of my disappointment, no body of Harry Potter. Sitting up and rubbing my eyes, I heard a shout from inside. No, multiple shouts. A curse, a yell, a cry for help. Suddenly I stood up in knowing understanding.

 _The battle was still going on!_

I looked towards the Great Hall and saw a flash of light. That was all I needed to know. I rushed through the front doors as fast as I could. My feet stamped across the ground and I turned the corner into the Great Hall, only to have a body slam into me. A green light soared over my head as I hit the ground hard. I turned around to look at my attacker when I saw brown eyes and red hair inches from my face. Sudden realization dawned on me. Ginny Weasley just saved my life. I turned to look at whoever sent that curse at me and I saw Bellatrix fire a quick curse in Ginny's direction, so I repaid the girl and shoved her out of the way. I stood up and Ginny stood up with me. She gave me a nod, which I returned. We turned to Bellatrix and glared at her. I felt someone come by my side. I turned and I saw Luna standing next to me, glaring daggers at Bellatrix. Instead of her usual, dreamy eyes, they were hard and gray, ready to attack. I smiled. And in one, quick motion, the four of us each fired our own spell.

The force of Bellatrix's was too overpowering for us, however, and I nearly stumbled, blocking a quick second curse the witch fired in my direction. Bellatrix's laughter echoed through the hall as Ginny missed the curse that fired at her. Luna sidestepped the curse that landed a couple inches of where she was standing and ran behind Bellatrix, throwing her off, but the older witch turned around to face Luna and disarmed her quickly, then turned around again and raised her wand at Ginny.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

I stared in abject horror as the green curse shot straight at Ginny. My mouth opened to shout out but I didn't need to. Ginny's Quidditch skills took over and she ducked the curse. I felt boiling anger at the fact that these evil people thought it was okay to kill children. I raised my wand, an unforgivable rolling off my tongue.

"CRUC-" But I didn't need to say it, as I was shoved to the ground by a fuming Mrs. Weasley.

"NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!"

Needless to say, I was floored, both physically and mentally. It was common knowledge that Molly Weasley had a severe temper, but never in my life had I thought that she would utter a swear word.

"OUT OF MY WAY!" she shouted as she shot a curse at Bellatrix, who easily blocked it. And the only thing that psycho bitch did was laugh. Mrs. Weasley fired more curses, and I was satisfied when the smile was wiped off Bellatrix's face. Then Bellatrix fired curses in the general direction of Molly Weasley. Lights danced everywhere as some of the flying curses hit midair, but not one landed on their target. There was an opening. Bellatrix's attention was diverted, her focus only on Mrs. Weasley. I raised my wand and took aim. I was about to disarm her when Molly Weasley yelled, "NO! Get back, get back! She is mine!" I was pushed back again and I stumbled into Ginny, who covered me from the volley of Bellatrix's spells that were aimed in my direction. One of them, a blue light, hit the ground at Ginny's feet and shattered into a million little charges of electricity. One ricocheted off the floor and shot upwards, hitting me right under the eye. Then, immense pain flew over me for a couple seconds, and I imagined what it'd be like to get hit that dead-on. And that's when I realized. They were both trying to kill each other.

"What will happened to your children when I've killed you?" Bellatrix laughed, daring to take a step closer, all the while avoiding Molly's attacks. "When Mummy's gone the same was as Freddie?" Another exhilarating laugh came from Bellatrix's mouth. I grit my teeth and raised my wand again to attack her, and then my arm was forced down to my side. George and Ginny had both grabbed me suddenly and were dragging me back, away from the battle. I struggled against the two firm grips with no avail.

"YOU! WILL! NEVER! TOUCH! OUR! CHILDREN! AGAIN!" Molly shouted, firing a curse between each word. And then Bellatrix stopped firing curses to laugh again, opening her mouth to taunt Molly again. But those precious half-seconds Bellatrix used to stop shooting curses was enough for Mrs. Weasley. Her curse landed on Bellatrix's heart. Time seemed to slow for me as the witch toppled to the ground. George let go of his grip to cheer, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw something unfold.

Voldemort let loose a loud yell, and raised his wand at Molly. I saw the Dark Lord's thin lips mouth the unforgivable. "Avada Kedav-"

"PROTEGO!"

 _That voice!_

The all too familiar voice rang out through the hall, and everyone stopped what they were doing and were looking for the source. And then he materialized in front of me, taking off that damned Invisibility Cloak.

Harry Potter.

Instantly, warmth flowed through me and a smile crept to my face. Harry, however, looked pained, more pained than I have ever seen him, as if being hit with a Killing Curse had him mentally scarred. He looked tired, and whatever weight he gained at Hogwarts seemed to have gone away, and he looked like the boy who would arrive from the Dursley's, all skinny and bruised. The only thing that remained his old self was the look of courage in his face.

I took a step forward, but George held me back for the third time in ten minutes. He pulled me back softly, and I didn't resist this time, because not only did I know that this fight _had_ to go down between Harry and Voldemort only, but frankly, I just felt tired and weak.

The two people in front of me, Harry and Voldemort, started circling around each other, each with determination dancing in their eyes.

"I don't want anyone else to try to help!" Harry said to no one in particular, and I could sense the guilt in his voice. "It's got to be like this. It's got to be me!" he declared. I looked down, fighting the tears that shot to my eyes upon hearing his voice. I wanted to help, so, so badly, because I obviously failed the last time he was alive.

Voldemort sneered, shock of Harry's arrival still somewhat in his eyes. "Potter doesn't mean that," he spat. "That isn't how it works, is it? Who are you going to use as a shield today, Potter?" Once again I could sense the guilt rolling off of Harry in waves.

"Nobody!" Harry yelled sadly. "There are no more Horcruxes. It's just you and me. Neither can live while the other survives, and one of us is about to leave for good -"

"One of us?" Voldemort interrupted, a small smile creeping to his tight lips, all the while his red eyes were staring hatefully at the boy in front of him. "You think it will be you, do you, the boy who has survived by accident and because Dumbledore was pulling the strings?"

For the first time that night, my sarcastic personality came back to me. I wanted to tell Voldemort that obviously Harry would be the one to live because he survived the Killing Curse twice and that Voldemort's Horcruxes are all destroyed, but I bit my tongue. I would much rather live than to tell Voldemort off and get myself killed.

"Accident, was it, when my mother died to save me?" Harry asked, sadness flavoring his sentence. The two people circled around each still, not breaking eye contact. "Accident, when I decided to fight in that graveyard? Accident," Harry asked again, his voice rising uncontrollably in rage, "that I didn't defend myself tonight, and survived, and returned to fight again?"

Voldemort's smile had vanished now, and he, too, was shaking with anger. "ACCIDENTS!" he yelled, he raised his wand and pointed it at Harry, but he did not attack, nor did anyone move. "Accident and chance and the fact that you crouched and sniveled behind the skirts of greater men and women, and permitted me to kill them for you!"

"You won't be killing anyone else tonight," said Harry as he sighed, seeming to be satisfied at keeping Voldemort at bay. "You won't be able to kill any of them ever again. Don't you get it? I was ready to die to stop you from hurting these people -"

"But you did not!" Voldemort interrupted again, satisfied at Harry's feelings.

"- I meant to, and that's what did it. I've done what my mother did. They're protected from you. Haven't you noticed how none of the spells you put on them are binding? You can't torture them. You can't touch them," Harry continued.

I started to fade at that point, everything was just too much for me to handle. I sank to the ground, but no one paid attention, their focus lay undivided at Harry and Voldemort, still circling each other and talking, neither of them wanting to strike first. Their voices did not reach my ears for me, however, as thoughts filled my brain. Thoughts about how Harry sacrificed himself to protect us, just like his mother did for him.

I sat like this for a couple minutes before hand touched my head, diverting my attention. I looked up and I saw Ron looking at me with emotion. "It's okay," he said, "you're safe with me." I shuddered internally. I didn't want him standing by me! Harry was the one who I needed, not Ron. I needed to sort it out as soon as this was over that I didn't feel the same feelings as he felt to me. My jaws clenched and I grimaced at the thought of having another incident like the one at the tent. Ron removed his hand away from my head as if my silence insulted him. "Sorry," he muttered, and looked back to the scene in front of us. I followed his gaze, my attention resting on Harry and Voldemort once more.

"The true master of the Elder Wand was Draco Malfoy," Harry declared. I didn't listen in until then, but I knew exactly what they were talking about.

"But what does it matter?" Voldemort responded in a harsh whisper, his eyes resting upon Draco for a second before darting back towards Harry's face. "Even if you are right, Potter, it makes no difference to you and me. You no longer have the phoenix wand: We duel on skill alone... and after I have killed you, I can attend to Draco Malfoy..." he trailed off, letting the threat make itself known. I chanced a glance at Draco, his face was paler than it usually was, and he was sweating heavily.

"But," Harry said, drawing my attention back to the two people circling each other, "you're too late. You've missed your chance. I got there first. I overpowered Draco weeks ago. I took this wand from him." I felt my eyes draw to the hawthorn wand that Harry was holding, and suddenly it dawned on me. _Harry was the true member of the Elder Wand!_

So it all comes down to this, doesn't it," Harry said softly. "Does the wand in your hand know its last master was Disarmed? Because if it does... I am the true master of the Elder Wand!"

Suddenly, light shown through the clouds, appearing in the enchanted ceiling. It had blinded me temporarily, and I heard two screams in front of my blinded sight.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

"EXPELLIARMUS!"

My vision cleared, and what I saw still chills me to the core. Voldemort's _Avada Kedarvra_ and Harry's _Expelliarmus_ met in midair, shaking the floor. And then the green jet bounced back, directly back, and hit Voldemort square in the chest. The Elder wand soared out of Voldemort's hand, and I watched as Harry caught it with ease. I turned back to where Voldemort stood, and stared in awe as Voldemort, the immortal Dark Lord, uttered his last breath and toppled over, lifeless.

* * *

 **A/N: Yes, that was a boring ending to the chapter, but I promise this will be the last chapter to fully link itself with a Harry Potter book. The next chapter finishes the direct quotations and starts the AU. So I hope you forgive me for the abrupt ending, the later chapters will be much more interesting!**


	3. Aftermath

**Chapter 3: Aftermath**

 **A/N: Chapter Three, yay! This chapter is the longest chapter I've written so far. Sorry I'm uploading this chapter at an unusual time in the day, my internet sucks. Harry and Hermione have a moment in this chapter, but they won't be truly "in love" until later. I am going somewhere next weekend though, and I won't have time to upload anything then (I might, but I'm not sure) so I might upload the next chapter a bit early or a bit later. Either way, I hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I do not own Harry Potter or the characters, if I did then I wouldn't be writing any fanfictions about it :)**

* * *

I stared at the fallen creature that lay in front of Harry for a couple seconds. Unknown emotions flew through me at once and I felt reluctant to believe that Voldemort actually lay dead by the hands of a seventeen year old, but, then again, that seventeen year old was the only person to survive the Killing Curse not only once, but twice. So I started to cheer and I ran forward towards Harry, calling out his name. I heard Ron's feet stamping behind me but I wasn't focused on that. My only focus was on Harry, the brave young man who suffered so much. I ran straight into him and engulfed him in my arms, with tears flying down my cheeks. For a split second it was just us, me and him. And then Ron came in. Then, suddenly, everyone was screaming for joy and rushed to give The-Boy-Who-Lived a hug, or to congratulate him on the defeat of the Dark Lord. Maybe both. But what mattered to me that my best, and first, friend was alive. Maybe not okay, but he was alive, and that is what mattered.

"Harry," I whispered quietly, so quietly that not one person in the castle could hear it, not even Ron or Harry himself. I sighed, and I rested my cheek on the only spot on Harry that wasn't being grabbed or pulled at, his shoulder. Harry gave a little start of surprise, no doubt wondering where my sudden affection came from, but his attention was diverted as soon as I opened my mouth to say something, however, as a loud voice filled the chamber, amplified by the Sonorus charm.

"I would like a word with Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ronald Weasley at the most convenient time, please," came the smooth voice of Kingsley Shacklebolt. I started and lifted my head off of Harry's shoulder. His hand suddenly grasped my own, taking me by surprise. I looked at him, but he didn't notice, as he was already trying to get people out of the way in order to meet with Shacklebolt. But, being the teenagers that they were, the kids would only come in closer, nearly crushing me to death. Ron muttered something along the lines of "bloody dumbasses". He grinned when I gave him a sharp look, and I rolled my eyes. I took out my wand slowly, aware of the force that was being forced upon it.

"Reducto," I whispered, focusing on a spot in between Dennis Creevey's legs. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that Harry heard and looked at me incredulously, but I ignored him.

 ** _BAM!_**

Dennis's yelp was loud enough for everyone to hear as the floor beneath his feet cracked in half. Everyone immediately backed away with fear on their face, Voldemort obviously not all gone from their minds. Harry, who caught on quickly, grabbed my hand again and rushed in between the teenagers, who were still looking around for the Dark Lord. Under normal circumstances I'd probably force my hand away and tell Harry that I could manage on my own, but at that moment I didn't want to let go of him, for the fear of losing him forever.

Harry, Ron, and I broke through the crowd and I immediately saw Shacklebolt. The man saw us and gave a wide smile, opening his arms.

"Welcome back!" Shacklebolt said as we approached. He reached out a clean hand and shook Harry's overly dirty one. "You've done it, Mister Potter," the man said. "You are our savior, and we will always thank you," he began, ready to dive into a speech.

Harry struggled next to me, and I could tell he didn't like what he was hearing.

"Please, sir!" Harry said. "I'd rather not be the one everyone looks up to. I was foolish and stupid, and I had the help of my friends," he said, indicating Ron and I. Ron turned a beet shade of red, and I resisted the urge to hit him. The thought of being known as the famous person who helped Harry Potter obviously got to him. But I, however noticed the pain in Harry's speech and I turned to him, giving him a sad look.

I felt the world crumble around me as I looked at his face. It was pained, and I could see tear tracks on his dirty face. His eyes were red and puffy, and I could tell that it would be painful to come out of this war.

"You aren't stupid," I whispered, grasping both of his hands. Harry looked at me tiredly and softly tugged his hands out of mine. I forced my hands by my side, stung. He looked down ashamedly, and turned to Shacklebolt, who looked away as if he didn't see the interaction Harry and I had.

"May I speak to you alone, Mister Potter," Shacklebolt said, his eyes filling with concern. Harry nodded, and the pair walked off.

I sighed and turned to Ron, who just stared back.

"I missed you, Hermione," Ron said.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, when I left and came back, we didn't have time to be around each other a lot," Ron muttered, an apology forming in his head.

My eyes narrowed. "I wonder why that was, Ronald," I snapped. Ron shrunk back, aware that he crossed a line. "Don't think I haven't fully accepted your apology yet. You went too far. You hurt me," I said, my eyes filling with tears. "And you hurt Harry."

"I-"

"Let me finish, Ron! When you left us, we waited for you to come back. When you didn't, we thought you left for good, that you didn't want to be with us anymore. Harry thought he lost his best and first friend. He might deny it, but he cried almost every night you were gone, mumbling about how no one wants to be with him!"

Ron's ears turned red with embarrassment. "I didn't mean that! I told you guys about how I wanted to come back as soon as I left, but there were Snatchers!"

I stamped my foot in frustration. "It doesn't matter what you felt when you left!" I screamed, noticing that some people turned to look in our direction. "You left us anyway! You didn't even take one look at Harry when you left! You didn't see what he was like afterwards. He was mortified!" I had calmed down enough to get my voice under control, but I was still shaking from anger.

"Look, Ron," I started up again. Ron visibly relaxed upon noticing I was going to yell at him. "I know Harry accepted you back as his friend, he always has. But if you walk out on me or Harry ever again, I will not want you back," I threatened.

Ron gulped and nodded wildly.

I sighed, and together Ron and I sat down, for now enjoying each others company. Ron clearly didn't want to say anything in case he might pull a trigger, and I wasn't in the mood for talking.

My fingers starting dancing on my legs, a sign that told everyone that I was bored. Like, really bored. I wasn't sure if Ron has seen me do that. Harry has, when we were in the tent. He asked me about that, and said he's never seen me do that before. I told him that it happened when there was nothing I could do to pass the time. He feigned a look of hurt and said that we could talk to pass the time. We had talked for hours about nonsense before he told me he wanted to go to Godric's Hollow.

I smiled at the memory when a breath formed next to my ear, startling me out of my reverie.

"Hey guys, it's me." I automatically turned towards Harry voice, but as I looked around me, I did not see him. I looked at Ron to confirm that there was a voice, when it came again.

"Will you come with me?"

Suddenly, Harry's face appeared out of nowhere, and I felt my cheeks grow warm. How could I forget about the damn invisibility cloak?

I stood up, and Ron got to his feet as well. Then, without a sound, Harry led us out of the Great Hall. We traversed through the hallways and walked up the stairs, taking in our surroundings. It still appalled me that Hogwarts could withstand such damage. Sure, the walls were broken and the floor was crumbling under their feet, but at least it was still erect. Compared to Harry's house in Godric's Hallow, which was blasted to smithereens because of a Killing Curse gone awry, Hogwarts impressed me. I opened my mouth to say something about it when a figure zoomed past me.

It was Peeves the Poltergeist, one of the few things I did not miss while I was on the run. I expected him to taunt us, but instead he broke into song.

" _We did it, we bashed them, wee Potter's the one,_

 _And Voldy's gone moldy, so now let's have some fun!_ "

I rolled my eyes at him, and Ron chuckled next to me.

"Really gives a feeling for the scope and tragedy of the thing, doesn't it?"

We kept walking, blindly making turns and thinking about nothing in particular. Well, _I_ wasn't thinking about anything worth mentioning, but apparently Harry did, because he spoke up.

"I need to tell you something."

"You can tell us anything, Harry." I spoke quietly, but the words sounded like they were blasted from a bullhorn.

"You're probably wondering why I went to kill myself," Harry said back, unaware of the worried glance that Ron gave me. I shook my head, and he looked back towards Harry. "In the memory—Snape's memory, what I saw told me how to actually defeat Voldemort."

Ron piped up, surprisingly not affected by the use of the name Voldemort. "You mean there was something other than the You-Know-Whats?"

"Shush, Ron," I said, knowing that the longer Harry stalled the conversation, the longer it would impact him. "Continue, Harry."

Harry smiled a bit and went on. "I guess I'll start from the beginning, and I don't want you guys to interrupt, please. When I went into the memory, I was first in a playground. I saw my mum and my Aunt Petunia when they were kids, playing on the swings. And then I saw Snape. He explained to my mum that underage magic is normal. As I got more into the memories, I realized that Snape and my mum were pretty close friends, but that got ruined when Snape called my mum a Mudblood in their fifth year." Harry looked apologetically at me and Ron scowled. "And then I saw Snape—much older—and he was scared. He was talking to Dumbledore, and he told him that he told Voldemort the prophecy and that he was scared that Voldemort was going to kill my mum. So Snape became a spy for Dumbledore. And then, right before our sixth year started, Dumbledore told Snape that he was going to die—because of his cursed hand—and told Snape to kill him at the end of the year. It was all planned out," Harry said.

Ron stared with wide eyes, obviously shocked at the reveal that Snape _was_ to be trusted. I looked at Harry, though. I, too have seen what was in the Pensieve, and I knew that Harry was leaving out one final thing, the killing blow to it all. I put my hand on his shoulder comfortably.

"Tell us, Harry," I whispered. I was surprised that Harry didn't question me about knowing that something else was there. It came to my mind that he was struggling to find the words to tell us.

"And, erm, that's not all. I saw Snape talking to Dumbledore. And Dumbledore told Snape that—that I was... That I was..."

Harry struggled with the words, and I knew it was painful for him to tell us what he was, so I squeezed his shoulder reassuringly.

"He told Snape that I was a Horcrux," he declared uncertainly, waiting for our reactions. Ron stopped and stared at Harry in wonder, and Harry shifted nervously under his gaze. I wanted to kick Ron for being insensitive, but I decided against it.

"Harry," I said. "Harry, it's okay now. You aren't one anymore—"

"But it's not, Hermione," Harry argued, cutting across my sentence. "Nothing like that is ever okay! Why would you ever think that me being a Horcrux is okay?"

For some reason, I got angry. I don't even know why, but I did. Maybe the thought of Harry doubting himself for the thousandth time of his life caught up to me, or maybe it was because of the rage I felt for Voldemort built up inside me and I needed to let it out. Whatever it was, I got pissed.

"Why would you ever think it's okay to go off to die and not tell your friends about it?" I shouted.

As soon as it left my mouth, however, I wanted to take it back. I saw Harry turn around, angry and stung, and walk through the door in front of us. I bowed my head in shame. It was unlike me to shout at people for no reason, but for some reason it had happened.

"I'm sorry," I whispered to Harry. But he just looked ahead and didn't even falter when I spoke. It was unlike him, too, to ignore people for just shouting at him, but my guess was that war changed him, as well as me, but I didn't dwell on that thought too much. I was still in shock from my own words and I felt incredibly stupid. Harry walked through the hallways at random and Ron followed closely behind while I stayed back a little. We travelled for about five minutes until we stumbled across a familiar corridor. The stone gargoyle had fallen over, and it looked like it was in pain.

"Can we go up," Harry asked.

"Feel free," it groaned.

So then I followed Harry and Ron up the staircase. Harry seemed to be making a point by not looking at me, and it wounded me inside. Harry and Ron walked through the door to the office, and I lagged behind a little. I was thinking about turning around and leaving—as Harry clearly didn't want me nearby—when I heard loud shouts from inside.

I rushed into the Headmaster's Office with my wand already in my hand, looking for the source, but I relaxed when I realized that the noises were coming from the portraits on the wall, and the noises themselves were cheers and clapping. I saw Dumbledore, who was openly crying, something I don't think I've ever seen him do. But Harry held out his hands and all the portraits stopped, smiles on their faces and glee in their eyes.

"The thing that was hidden in the Snitch," Harry said. "I dropped it in the forest. I don't know exactly where, but I'm not going to go look for it again. Do you agree?"

Dumbledore smiled greatly while his fellow portraits looked bewildered. "My dear boy, I do. A wise and courageous decision, but no less that I would have expected of you. Does anyone else know where it fell?" Dumbledore inquired.

"No one," Harry said simply, and I looked at Harry—despite him ignoring me—in wonder. _What was in that Snitch?_

"I'm going to keep Ignotus's present, though," Harry declared.

"But of course. Harry," Dumbledore said, smiling, "it is yours forever, until you pass it on!"

"And then," Harry said in a slightly defeated tone, "there's this."

Then Harry proceeded to take out the Elder Wand. I couldn't help but stare at it in awe.

"I don't want it."

"What?" Ron almost shouted. "Are you mental?"

"I know it's powerful," Harry sighed. "But I was happier with mine. So..."

Harry reached in the pouch around his neck and pulled the holly and phoenix wand that he had owned for seven years and set it down on the table, it's phoenix feather still keeping it together by that single thread.

 _"Reparo."_

The wand snapped together, and sparks flew from the end of it. I smiled as Harry picked up the wand and the end of it grew brighter, as if waiting to try out a spell for the first time in months.

"I'm putting the Elder Wand," Harry started again, "back where it came from. It can stay there. If I die a natural death like Ignotus, its power will be broken, won't it? The previous master will never have been defeated. That'll be the end of it."

Ron shook a little, my threat still on his mind as he asked, "Are you sure?" He looked at the wand with a bit of longing.

"I—I think Harry's right," I whispered. Harry looked at me for the first time in a while and he gave me a small smile, a smile I couldn't help but return. It seemed as if he was accepting my words, and that was a good start with me.

"That wand's more trouble than it's worth," Harry said with confidence. He turned around with a faraway look. "And quite honestly, I've had enough trouble for a lifetime."

Dumbledore beamed from his portrait behind Harry's back, and before I could stop myself, I was grinning like an idiot. The prospect of not having to fight anymore overpowering, brutal, immortal Dark Lords had finally caught up to me. Harry caught sight of me and smiled, too. I would say smiles were contagious because Ron smiled as well.

Ron was about to speak again when a very flustered Molly Weasley came rushing through the door.

"Oh, there you are dear. Your father and I are going to go home now. Ginny's coming along, will you come, too?"

It had dawned on me that Ron hasn't been home for almost a year, and Ron had grown a wistful look on his face.

"Only if it's okay with Harry and Hermione," Ron said.

Harry chuckled. "You go ahead, Ron. I'll manage with Hermione."

Ron nodded and followed his mother out the office. Harry turned to me.

"Will you stay? I've got to talk to you." I nodded. Harry smiled again as he led me after the Weasleys. I grasped onto his hand as we made it down the stairs, the thought of losing him again crossed my mind once more. He walked in the general direction of the stairs but instead of going down, like Ron and his mother did, Harry led me up the stairs. It took us about three minutes to get up the seventh floor, on accountability that the stairs still moved. Finally, we made it into Gryffindor Tower—the portrait of the Fat Lady only smiled when she saw Harry and let me and him through. Harry still didn't let go of my hand until he led us to the empty Boys Dormitory. He let go of my hand as he plopped down on the bed, clearly drained. I sat down next to him and scotted as close to him as I felt was necessary—I wanted to be near him, but I wasn't sure if Harry fully accepted me back from our three second dispute.

Harry looked at me, his smile gone, all that was left was sadness, and when he spoke, his voice was raw.

"I want to apologize, Hermione. Don't interrupt!" he said as I opened my mouth. "I want to apologize for a couple of things. Do you remember the broom incident in our third year?" I nodded, after all, how could I not. "I'm sorry that I ignored you and stuck with Ron. You were concerned, is all. I also want to apologize for being a downright prat in our fifth year. I've said some pretty hurtful things and I'm sorry that I ignored you. And I'm especially sorry f-for—" and then Harry suddenly broke down into tears. I slowly wrapped by arms around him and I held him tight, not daring to say a word as Harry tried to speak his sobs.

"I-I'm sorry f-for leaving without y-you t-today. I sh-should have told you t-that I was g-going to let m-myself be k-killed. I didn't w-want to see you, b-because if I d-did, t-then I w-wouldn't have g-gotten the c-courage to d-do it," Harry whimpered out. I held him tightly, letting his tears stain my shirt.

"Shh, Harry," I said comfortably, rubbing my hand on his back. "It's okay. I didn't mean to get mad at you, I really didn't. And what happened with the broom, it's okay. I'm over that now. And you were hurt in our fifth year. Cedric had just died, Voldemort was back, and the Ministry was against you. I'd be mad if it were me," I reassured him. I pulled away from him and held him out so he was facing me, and I could see the tears still travelling down his cheeks. "Listen to me, Harry Potter. I know we've had some rough times together, but I'm still your friend, no matter what."

Harry opened his mouth to protest, but I shushed him.

"I've got some things that I want to apologize for, too. Last year, I'm sorry for ignoring you. I was just really upset about that book. Ron is right, I do get upset when someone is better than me at something, and I just couldn't help but get mad at you for using that damned Half-Blood Prince book. And I'm especially sorry for going against you about the Deathly Hallows. I wasn't right to be mad at you, after all, it made perfect sense, but I didn't want to focus on anything but the Horcruxes. I know we were real close, like nothing could keep us apart, and then I turned my back on you everytime you mentioned the Deathly Hallows. It must have hurt when that happened," I said, my eyes turning misty. "I'm sorry."

Harry sort of shrugged and looked away. "It's fine. We were supposed to be concentrating on the Horcruxes, not the Hallows. I grew obsessed with them," he said, sighing. "But I don't want to think about that anymore," he said, falling back onto his bed. "I just want a good nights sleep."

I smiled. "As do I." I got up and was about to tell Harry that I was going to sleep as well when a sudden thought occurred in my mind. Harry and I haven't been away from each other for about a year, and the only times we were apart happened to be the times when either Harry and I had a high risk of dying, like when I left him alone in Bathilda's house, or when Harry left to see Snape's memory.

"Hey, Harry?" I asked, turning back to him. The sheets were already covering him and his eyes were closed, but one of them opened heavily when I spoke. "I don't want to be alone. C-can I sleep with you?" I felt a blush creeping on my cheeks. Of course I didn't want to _have sex_ with him, but I wanted to be in his presence. Harry, however, did not smile jokingly like he did when I asked to lay down next to him in the tent, but maybe that was because Harry had just defeated the darkest wizard of all time and there was no time for jokes. Instead, he shifted over to one side of the bed and patted the other side sleepily. I crawled in next to him, pulling the covers over me.

"Harry?" I asked again.

"Hmm?" was the response.

"I'm glad we're still together."

I heard Harry shift next to me, and I turned my head to see him propping himself up on his elbow. "What do you mean?"

A sigh escaped my lips. "I mean, no matter what happened, we still want to be near each other. This feels like when we were in the tent and Ron left us," I said, "except the world isn't going to shit."

Harry flinched a bit when I cursed—it was not a common thing for me to curse and I would usually reprimand Harry for swearing, but I was too tired to care. I felt Harry's arms wrap around me and he grabbed me into his chest.

"We are fine now, and we are not going to split apart. I promise," he said softly. I smiled into his shirt as I felt my eyes close heavily. My last thought before I drifted off was the only thought that passed through my mind.

 _I love you, Harry Potter._

* * *

 **A/N: Much better ending than last chapter's. And no, there are no Weasley bashing. Sure, he's going to be a git for the next couple chapters or so, but that's how he was in the books. Don't worry, he'll earn our respect soon enough.**


	4. Memories

**Chapter 4: Memories**

 **A/N: Guys, I'm so sorry I couldn't update this sooner! I got back from my trip only to suddenly go on another one, this time to my aunt's wedding. On top of that, I'm going to camp on Sunday, arriving back on Friday, only to start school four days after that. So I'm very sorry if my schedule I proposed earlier goes out of whack, I'm just very busy.**

 **I want to give thanks to** **Nala Moon, who reminded me that since Hermione was trampled by a bunch of crazed kiddies out to kill the Dark Lord, our favorite bushy haired teen would look like a mess. So I added a little bit in those regards.**

 **Also, memories will be in the _italicized sections._**

 **Disclaimer:** **I don't own the Harry Potter books or the story, J.K. Rowling does.**

* * *

I had slept very well that day, probably the nicest since Dumbledore's death. No nightmares came to mind, but the peaceful dreams that I often had before the world had become a threat flowed back to me. It was almost evening, however, when voices floated to my head.

"Hiya, Harry—oh, sorry!"

"It's not what it looks like, Neville!"

Neville's laugh travelled to my ears.

"If you say so."

I groaned, frustrated by my abrupt awakening. _But why were Harry and Neville here?_ It didn't matter to me. I was too tired to dwell on them. I snuggled my head into my pillow, felling the heartbeat in my ear. Suddenly, I tensed. _A heartbeat?_ Thoughts of that wretched locket flew to my head. The Horcrux had often driven me insane with the heartbeat it would sometimes emit. But then recent events caught up to me, and I relaxed. I was safely in Harry's arms, the Dark Lord was dead, and the Horcrux was gone.

"Do you actual—"

"Harry, calm down. I'm only joking!" Neville's voice sounded happy, while Harry's had a hint of frustration in it. Groggily, I opened my eyes. It was bright out, the sunlight bathing the dormitory in white. I turned my head slowly to look at Neville. He stood there with a wide smile on his face, his eyes alight with mischief, something I've never seen in Neville before. "Hey, Hermione."

I smiled lightly. "Hi."

Harry grunted with impatience. I turned back to look at him. He looked like he hadn't slept, which to me was strange because he could hardly talk without yawning the night before. I gave him a worried look, and he looked back at me with intensity. We stared at each other for about a minute, just staring, his arms around my torso while the sheets were tangled around our legs. It was then that I had started feeling feelings that I have not felt before. Our bodies were pressed together, and even though it wasn't hot in the dormitory, I was sweating profusely. Our legs were mixed together, my right leg under his left but over his right, and my left leg was under his right. My heart thumped fast, like really fast. I couldn't identify the feeling, however I could deduct that it was due to hormones acting up. Harry made no indication that he noticed it, however, and still held me under his intensive gaze.

"A-hem" Neville coughed behind me. Harry broke the look by looking up at Neville while I looked down at the sheets, my face burning with slight embarrassment. "My gran wants to talk to you, Harry," Neville said. "I reckon she wants to thank you. Also, it's nearing dinner, and George was wondering where you too were. He reckoned you guys might be snogging."

My face burned more with increasing embarrassment, and I still refused to lift my head from Harry's chest. Harry showed his first sign of weakness and squirmed a bit. "No! I-we aren't-" he stammered, and I smiled softly. I knew Harry would have trouble every time someone would bring up a girl, but for the thought of him being with me, it just made my heart soar.

Neville laughed again. "I know, I didn't expect you two to be snogging, but wait 'till I tell him that you two were _sleeping together!_ " He drew out the last two words, as if to make a threat. I shut my eyes as my cheeks turned a Weasley shade of red. Harry, however pushed me off of him and sat up.

"Why don't you go mind your own damn business!" he yelled. His voice was on the verge of tearing, and I knew he wasn't in any mood for jokes. I looked at him and sighed. He was breathing hard, and his hand was on the bedside table, resting on his wand in a threatening manner. Neville had shrunk back, his old, cowardly self making itself known once again.

"Harry," I whispered softly, reaching out and touching his hand. "Neville is only joking. Calm down a bit, please."

Harry's breathing slowed down and became lighter, and his hand slowly left the table. I crawled up to him and hugged him, resting my head on his shoulder.

"I'll go, then," Neville said, the unease still in his eyes.

"We'll catch up to you, later, Neville," I said, my voice muffled. I heard his footsteps walk away and I heard the door close. "C'mon, Harry," I whispered soothingly, rubbing my hand on his back again. "What's gotten into you?"

The answer I got was a deep breath, and it tickled my neck. "I don't know, Hermione. It's like even though I defeated the worlds biggest enemy, I'm still afraid. And it just frustrates me for some reason. I don't know why, but it does." I brought my head deeper in the crook of his neck with my eyes shut. I racked my brains for a response to give, only to find out that I could not respond at all. So I pulled back and held Harry's shoulders.

"Did you get any sleep at all?"

Harry slumped and shook his head. "I got about thirty minutes," he said. "I woke up and I couldn't go back to sleep."

"When was the last time you had a full nights sleep?" I asked, only now wondering why Harry would always volunteer take the night watches in the tent. He shrugged, like it wasn't a big deal.

"I'm not sure. Maybe the night before Dumbledore died."

My eyes narrowed, and I felt hurt and betrayed at the admission. "So you mean every time I asked you how you were and you said 'fine' or 'I'm okay', does that mean you were not fine and not okay? What other secrets have you kept from me?"

Harry flinched, obviously realizing that he let the wrong thing slip. "What was I supposed to tell you, Hermione?" he shot back. "That every single fucking thing in the world is against me at one point or another, or that my life is totally different than yours, or that when I say 'I'm fine', it means that I don't see danger in the moment?"

It felt as if the world crumbled beneath me. "Harry—" I started.

"Shut up, Hermione, and listen!" he snapped at me. I shut my mouth shut, surprised at the sudden outburst. Harry lightly took my arms off of him and he stood up with a look of great pain gracing his face. "I don't know what you've been told about my childhood," he began, starting to pace slowly while his hands shoved themselves into his pockets. "But whatever it was, it wasn't how it was told. Now, tell me, Hermione. What about my childhood did you hear about?" he questioning, his eyes blazing.

I stared questionably at him. It was no secret that Harry didn't like to talk about his home life before Hogwarts. Even so, I thought about his question. Memories flooded back to me, memories of the month I first bought and read _Hogwarts: A History_.

* * *

 _The book lay open in my arms, and I was currently reading it (for the second time) so I could get an idea of what to expect from my magical life. I flipped through the pages of the giant textbook, gazing fondly at the pictures of the beautiful castle that would once be my home. My mother sat next me, her arm around my shoulders. Originally, she was slightly against me leaving home and my current education, but I, with the help of my father, rebelled against her, convincing her that there would be "other magic people" at the school and I wouldn't be alone. I smiled to myself. Gone would be the days were I would be bullied for trying to be smart, and gone would be the days where people won't hit me because I had "scary powers". I was so deep in thought that I didn't notice my mother prodding my side._

 _"Sorry," I yelped, looking at her._

 _"So," she said, giving me a grin, "what juicy stuff did you find in that book the second time around?" She jabbed her finger at the book in my hands._

 _"Well, there was this one part about a boy. His name is Harry Potter and he's my age. When he was only one a very bad wizard went into his home and killed his family with the 'Killing Curse'," I said, putting quotations around the phrase. I was about to start up again, I saw my mother clench her jaw, something she does when she gets upset or angry._

 _"Why would_ anyone _think it's alright to go and murder a family?" she exclaimed. "Did they give a reason why he did it?" I looked at the book and shook my head. "It's one thing, a very bad thing, mind you, to go and murder a happy family, but to do it without reason is much worse. Did_ _—" Suddenly she stopped talking, a look of fear gracing her face. "Did that man attack the child, too?"_

 _Glumly, I nodded. "It does mention that there are rumors that Harry, the child, was the intended target and that his parents were just killed because they were defending him, and—" I almost shrieked in surprise when my mother jumped up, her face twisting with fury as she snatched the giant textbook out of my hands. She nearly shoved it in her face as she furiously read the page, her eyes narrowed the further she read. When she was done, she looked up from the book, her hands shaking violently._

 _It was the first time I've seen my mother like this, and it scared me to death._

 _"You mean to tell me?" she almost shouted, "that this evil bitch went to a nice family's house just to kill a one year old?" I nodded rapidly, almost tearing up at my mother's use of swearing. One rule stood by her, and it was to never swear at anyone, ever. And she broke that rule. That's how mad she was._

 _She must have seen my face, because she sighed. "I'm sorry, sweetie. It's just that I'm very mad at this whole thing." She set the book down steadily. "So does it say what happened to Harry after he survived?"_

 _"Yes," I said, grabbing the book. "And it's not very good," I warned while flipping to the next page. My mother stiffened next to me again, and I could tell she was trying to force down another outburst. I pointed at the line and read, "'After the defeat of the Dark Lord, Harry Potter was sent to live with his mother's sister and uncle. Rumor has it that the two aren't fond of Harry and keep him in a cupboard under their stairs_ _—"_

 _"WHAT?!" The book dropped from my hands as the exclamation was made. My mother screamed this time, and she grabbed me tightly by the shoulders, her grip like a vice. "He's going to be in your year, right?" she questioned with irritation. I gulped and nodded. "Hermione Jean Granger, I don't care what you do at that school, but let's get this one thing straight. You go up to the boy, and you befriend him, you understand? You help him with whatever he needs. If he was abused by his relatives, then please be a nice person to him," she said firmly. I nodded again, still not daring to speak._

 _Finally, she let go of me and took a deep, shaky, breath. She then grabbed the book again and went towards my parents room with it, supposedly to tell my father. I vowed myself to meet Harry on the train to Hogwarts._

* * *

I turned back to Harry, slowly pulling myself out of Memory Lane. He had stopped pacing, but he still stared at me with slight accusation. A sigh escaped my lips.

"When I read _Hogwarts: A History_ for the first—hey, wait a minute!" I exclaimed as Harry threw up his arms at the mention of the book and started to pace again. "Let me finish! Anyway, I was reading it at home before our first year, so I could get ahead with knowing about the castle, you know..." I trailed off when Harry turned towards me again, this time with an impatient glare. "Sorry," I mumbled. It seemed that there was no way around it, so I cut right to the chase. "In _Hogwarts: A History_ it says that after you survived Voldemort the first time that you got sent to your Aunt and Uncles, and there have been rumors that they did horrible things to you, like k-keeping you l-locked up in a c-cupboard under the d-damn stairs!" I wailed; suddenly a horrible thought had occurred to me, _could it be actually true?_ The whole time I've kept the thought out of my head as just a rumor, but seeing the look on his face as I said it renewed my fears.

Slowly, he nodded, to my horror. "It's true," he whispered, his face softening into a look of slight pain. "They kept me in a cupboard under the stairs until I got my Hogwarts letter. Uncle Vernon gave me Dudley's second bedroom in hopes I would forget about Hogwarts—"

"You mean to tell me that while you had a small space under the dusty stairs, your cousin had _two_ bedrooms?" I interrupted. Harry stopped and nodded, a short jerk of his head.

"Well, anyway, after I finished first year at Hogwarts, Dobby the House-Elf popped in my bedroom one day," again, sadness crept on Harry's face as he mentioned the now deceased House-Elf. "That was the day the Dursleys were having dinner with this couple, the Masons, who were trying to make a deal with the company Uncle Vernon works at. And of course my motto when people came over was 'Go to my room and pretend I don't exist'—"

I interrupted again, struggling to figure out why he would put himself down like that. "Why would you make that saying for yourself?"

Harry sighed, a frown crossing his face. "I didn't, actually. Dudley and Uncle Vernon both came up with that one," he said. I felt heat rising to my face as anger bubbled up inside me. "Can I please finish, Hermione?" I nodded.

"So these people were having dinner over when Dobby showed up. He told me that 'terrible things' were going to happen at Hogwarts and told me to not go back. After I refused, he ran downstairs, picked up the cake sitting on the counter with his magic, then disposed of it on the floor. And then this owl flies to give me a warning not to do magic and it flies really close to Mrs. Mason. Luck would have it that Mrs. Mason is deathly afraid of birds, and the couple left quickly, telling my uncle that they cancelled the deal. Of course, Uncle Vernon wasn't happy about this, so he locked me in my room, leaving a little hole in the door to give me food. Later, he put bars on my windows."

I knew this bit, of course. Ron had told me a while back and I slapped him, thinking that he was pulling some kind of joke. I needed to apologize. Not just to Ron, but to Harry as well.

"Then right before third year—you know this one—my Aunt Marge came over and I blew her up like a balloon," Harry continued. I closed my eyes, feeling pained. Back then I thought that he did that to his Aunt Marge for some bit of accidental magic after she yelled at him, although after what Harry said now, I couldn't help but wonder what she did to deserve it. "She came over and it was somewhat fine for the first six days. And then, on the last day, she got extremely drunk. She insult—" Harry took a deep breath, the pain on his face becoming too great. "She insulted my parents. She said, and I quote, 'Bad blood will out. Now, I'm saying nothing against your family, Petunia, but your sister was a bad egg. They turn up in the best families. Then she ran off with a wastrel and here's the result right in front of us.'"

Silence then took over. Harry had finished talking, his eyes and mouth clamped shut, breathing hard. I felt pissed, though. Pissed that someone would _dare_ insult or hurt Harry Potter. _My Harry Potter._ I quickly untangled myself from the sheets and threw myself at him, tears sparkling my eyes and I held on to him for dear life. We stood this way for a couple moments, with his head resting on top of mine while I wept my eyes out. "I'm so, so sorry," I gasped between sobs while I held him so tight he had to start gasping for air a bit.

"Hermione, it's fine. Please let go, you're killing me," Harry joked. I bit back a reply while I let go. I stared up at him as he brushed his thumb under my eye, wiping away a tear. His thumb his a bruise, and I visibly winced. "What happened to you?"

I glared at him. "What about you?" I shot back. "You just killed the Darkest Wizard of all time, and you ask _me_ how I am?"

Harry chuckled, although the mirth never made it to his unwavering gaze, concern filling his eyes. "I didn't ask you how you were, I asked you what happened to you. We all know what happened to me. I'm serious, Hermione. You look like you've been beat by a hammer, twice."

I reached up and touched my face. It felt lumpy and swollen, and suddenly pain seared through my stomach. I started to stumble, but Harry caught me. "Woah! Come on, Hermione," he grunted as he lifted me up. He walked a couple, staggering steps and gently put me on the bed, staring at me with worry strewn all across his features. I couldn't help but notice how his eyebrows go together when he gets worried, or how he would run his hand through his already messy hair, or how—

"Hermione?"

It was Harry, calling out to me. I looked at him, breaking out of my reverie. He stared me down with a demanding expression, and finally, I sighed.

"I got stepped on."

I was waiting one, two, three seconds for a laugh at my petty declaration. Five, six, seven. Yet still no laugh.

"By who?"

"I don't know!"

It was pathetic. Some of our arguments never seemed to reach five words a sentence, and it bothered me.

"What do you mean, you don't know?" Harry said loudly, stepping forward.

"It was a whole lot of people!" I whined as he grabbed my hand, trying to force the truth out of me. In all honesty I didn't want to be known as the 'girl-who-got-her-scars-and-bruises-because-kids-stepped-on-her. It sounded silly, but Harry never laughed or grinned, so I caved in. "After Voldemort declared you, uh, dead," Harry hung his head, the guilt obviously still in his mind, "everyone rushed into the Great Hall to fight. I was stampeded by a whole bunch of teenagers."

And so I stood there, waiting for the laughter, refusing to look up and meet Harry's gaze. What I wasn't expecting was the grip tightening around my body. I could tell he was getting upset again, something I've grown to hate in the past months. When he would get mad, he would shout and protest, but if he got _pissed_ , then the would resort to Ron-like insults, except ten times worse. He would rage and blow random objects up with uncontrollable magic. I'm guessing that's what happened to Aunt Marge, but I was on that side of the spectrum. Once, and only once.

* * *

 _It was three days since Ron left, and Harry and I were skirmishing the outskirts of an abandoned barn. Harry walked ahead of me, keeping his eyes dead ahead and his body straightened in a way I haven't seen before. At the time, I wasn't sure if he was mad or just very focused. I got my answer in the next couple minutes._

 _"We should talk," I broke the long, deadly silence. Harry kicked the ground, setting loose pebble jumping across the ground, but other than that, he didn't give any sign that he heard me. Silence set again, save for the sounds of my breathing and Harry's loud stomping._

 _"Harry?" I asked after a couple minutes, growing worried by the second. When he didn't respond for a second time, I reached out. "Harry!" I said again with slight impatience as I grasped his hand. In a blink of an eye, he spun around to face me and pulled me close to him with so much force I nearly fell. He glared at me from two inches away._

 _"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT?!" he shouted with such fierceness I almost cried. "ABOUT_ HIM _?" I knew he was talking about Ron, and it was true. I nodded. "WHAT ABOUT HIM? DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT HOW HE FUCKING LEFT US? ABOUT HOW HE WENT OFF ON OUR FAMILIES BECAUSE HE'S A SELFISH BASTARD WITH NO RESPECT FOR ANYONE BUT HIMSELF?"_

 _He shook me violently, and that's when I started to cry, little tears at first. Suddenly, a hay stack to my left exploded into a million little straws. I've never seen any ferocity at this level escape from Harry before, and I knew that Ron had crossed a line. Harry let me go by pushing me lightly. I stumbled and I fell on my sorry arse. I knew he didn't mean to hurt me, but suddenly I was scared._

 _BAM!_

 _I looked up just in time to see the barn cave in on itself while Harry slumped. Realizing that he used an exponential amount of magic that both drained his energy and, if stayed for much longer, will attract potential Death Eaters to our location. So I jumped forward and grabbed him, twisting as I did so._

 _We landed in a middle of a forest. I didn't know which one, as many were dashing through my head at the time I disaperated, but I didn't care. We were safely away from the barn and from Harry's outburst. Said person shifted in my arms, and I looked down. His face was red, and tears were streaming down from his face._

 _"I'm so sorry, Hermione!" he wailed. I bent down as close to his face and my confidence would let me._

 _"Shhh, it's okay Harry," I whispered. "Wait here!"_ _I stood up and started pacing in a big, wide, circle and started setting up to protective spells while Harry was curled up in the center, sobbing his brains out._

 _Harry and I never talked about that night ever again. Not with each other, and especially not with Ron._

* * *

"Harry," I warned. "Please don't get mad. It wasn't their fault," I said, coming back to the present.

Harry sighed, visibly relaxing. "I know, Hermione. I'm just worried about you."

"Now you know how I feel," I joked, poking him in the ribs. Harry laughed back.

"It's an honor to be in the same shoes as the graceful Hermione Granger!"

I tried to hide my blush as me left the Dormitories, making our way to the Great Hall.

* * *

 **A/N: A strange ending point, yes, but now I'm going to get quicker with the story. Until next time, enjoy!**


End file.
